Working trip to Gomel

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko paid a working
trip to Gomel on 10 August. Special attention was drawn to healthcare,
industrial, social and economic development of the region.

The head of state visited the Gomel Oblast Children
Clinical Hospital where he inspected the results of its reconstruction, the
organizational of work in the healthcare institution, talked to the hospital
personnel and parents of little patients.

Alexander Lukashenko was assured that the hospital has
sufficient potential to provide quality services not only to Gomel residents
but to the entire oblast. “Giving optimal service to all the kids is what
matters. We will not pinch pennies from kids,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

The President gave instructions to expedite the resolution
of a number of organizational issues and told the Gomel Oblast administration
to keep an eye on them. The staffing of the healthcare institution with medics
was mentioned. The healthcare institution needs to hire people taking into
account the availability of modern equipment and technologies. Medical
personnel need to live up to higher standards, too. “We have to be frugal with
money and spend it where it is necessary – on kids,” the head of state noted.

Alexander Lukashenko also gave instructions to more
promptly deal with several shortcomings regarding the hospital’s physical
infrastructure. The hospital still lacks some modern equipment. “It has to be a
superb hospital and the equipment should be on par,” he said.

“A true palace. I cannot describe it otherwise.
Cutting-edge technologies, a magnificent hospital,” the Belarusian head of
state said.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that similar healthcare
institutions had been built in every oblast. This hospital was initially
supposed to be built outside the city’s limits. However, Alexander Lukashenko
gave instructions to reconstruct and expand the existing institution inside the
oblast capital. “Now we can see a beautiful city block with its own garden
here,” he said.

“We don’t mind the expense because it is for our
children. I am impressed by what they do here [by offering advanced healthcare
services]. And it is not the country’s top healthcare institution. It is an
oblast capital one,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

The head of state also drew attention to the need to
offer high-quality medical services bearing in mind modern ecological
challenges on top of the Chernobyl problems. “Particularly in Europe, in
Russia, Ukraine, and so on. The god takes care of us thanks to the
‘dictatorship’ and authoritarianism we are criticized for. But the
environmental situation is getting worse. Not all kids are born without
pathologies,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

Alexander Lukashenko also visited OAO Gomselmash where
he got familiar with the state and prospects of the company’s development,
efforts of its engineering design division to create new high-performance grain
and forage harvesters. The head of state will be informed about the fulfillment
of instructions to develop the domestic harvester engineering industry.

Alexander Lukashenko expressed confidence that OAO
Gomselmash can reach new heights. “Well done, Gomselmash has a future. We will
definitely keep the enterprise running. I am confident we will raise it to new
heights if only you do your jobs,” he said.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, for a long time he
had wanted to visit Gomselmash and see how previous commitments were being
taken care of, particularly those of the last two-three years. “Back then you
asked for some aid. You were given aid,” the President reminded.

The promise of the company’s product engineers to
create a super harvester was another reason for the visit. After the tour of
Gomselmash Alexander Lukashenko intends to see these harvesters at work in the
field in the next few days.

The state of Gomselmash and prospects of its
development were also mentioned during Alexander Lukashenko’s visit. The head
of state saw the products the company makes. The product range has been greatly
expanded in the last ten years. The latest products and prototypes were also on
display. Gomselmash Director General Alexander Kamko presented detailed
information about the company’s financial and economic performance, including
the investment program, loan debts, manufacturing plans, and the expansion of
export sales geography. It was noted that the import substitution effect of
Belarus-made harvesters exceeded $2.2 billion in 2010-2017.

Alexander Lukashenko said: “You want to modernize the
enterprise, invest in manufacturing. Loans are available. But you need
government guarantees. We will talk about it. Most likely we will back you up
but with certain commitments.”

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that high quality of
products is the key condition for the successful operation of an enterprise:
“Quality of products – doing your job honestly – is a number one priority. I
want executives and blue-collar workers to remember it. If you want to compete
and win in the face of unfair competition, you should deliver quality products.
You should make your best.”

“You make rather good harvesters and other machines
but the quality needs to be better than that of German and American products.
Then we will freely compete with them,” the head of state was convinced. “We
cannot say all the time that our products are cheaper. We should sell them at
higher prices, too, in order to raise salaries, to upgrade enterprises, invest
in manufacturing instead of taking expensive bank loans or begging for some
subsidies.”

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that the state has no
intention of abandoning Gomselmash and similar large enterprises. “You may have
heard a lot of idle talk claiming that it is high time the giant companies were
split into pieces and sold off. We are not going to axe them or sell them. It
is our nation’s legacy. Not only this generation’s. We will do our best to
preserve and reinforce these enterprises,” said the President.